The Secretary of Energy & Environmental Affairs has accepted the Final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR) and issued a Certificate to guide the next phases of the project. This means that the Preliminary Engineering phase can now officially begin, where work will continue on station designs with community involvement.
Download the certificate (PDF). Here are some highlights from the Certificate:
- “MassDOT should use the comments received on the FEIR to further inform the project’s preliminary and final design process, provide additional refinement to the Public Involvement Process.”
- The Secretary can’t require MassDOT to construct the Community Path as part of the Green Line construction, but “I expect that MassDOT will continue its efforts to support the project as much as possible….I strongly encourage MassDOT to continue to work with the City of Somerville and advocates or the Community Path to identify sufficient funding for the ultimate construction of the Path.”
- “As design of the Maintenance Facility advances, MassDOT should consider the concerns and suggestions presented in the FEIR comment letters including striving to further reduce the facility’s footprint to limit land takings.”
- MassDOT should work with the community to mitigate any negative impacts of College Ave being the Green Line terminus for Phase 1.
- “I ask that MassDOT continue to work closely with interested parties as design advances about specific mitigation measures” (e.g., noise and vibration).
- Because the State will miss the legal deadline for the Green Line completion, MassDOT will submit a proposal for an interim offset project.